Decemberweenvent Calendar

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Revision as of 05:21, 17 December 2022

Toon Category: Holiday Toon
watch Fan 'Stumes 2022 Happy 20th Trogday!
"You think they'll ever doooo... song about Sibbie? Probably not because I don't think it has any notes."

A Decemberween Advent calendar with new music every day from December 1st to the 24th.

Cast (in order of appearance): Homestar Runner, Strong Bad, The King of Town, Pom Pom (pictured), Marzipan (pictured), Coach Z (pictured), Bubs (pictured), Strong Sad, Homsar (pictured), Stave It Off Guy (pictured), Strong Mad, The Homestar Runner (pictured), Stinkoman (pictured), The Jolly Dumple (pictured), Videlectrix Guys (pictured), Videlectrix Mascot (pictured), 3D Shield Guy (pictured), Vector Strong Bad (pictured), Peanut Strong Bad (pictured), Marshie (pictured), Pinner (pictured), Senor Cardgage (pictured), the ghost of Credenza (pictured), Reynold, Silent Rip (pictured), Gunhaver (pictured), Blue Laser Commander, Cheerleader, So and So, The Ugly One, What's Her Face, D n' D Greg (pictured), Sci-Fi Greg (pictured), Open Source Greg (pictured), Japanese Culture Greg (pictured), The Cheat, Trogdor (pictured), Poppy and Stoppy (pictured), Tony Stony (pictured), the Cow Lamp

Date: Thursday, December 1, 2022 (updated daily from the 1st to the 24th)

Page Title: Remember to practice your Scales of an Artist!

Total Running Time: 10:02

Contents

Calendar

Day Title Key Running Time Transcript Page Description Image / Links
10000Cover Decemberweenvent Calendar

{The toon begins here each day and automatically plays the snippet for the most recent day; click a lit number at any time on the cover page to play the snippet for that day; click the Skip button to go directly to the sheet music for that day}

A small, saddle-stitched booklet is shown on a wooden surface. The booklet is titled "Decemberweenvent Calendar" in a large banner. Tiny versions of Homestar Runner and Strong Bad race across the keys of a real-life, worn-down piano keyboard.

The top corners show that this is the Scales of an Artist Beginner Piano Series produced by Cheap As Free Music. A caption in the center reads, "New H*R sheet music everyday!"

Along the bottom are two rows of numbers. All but the first number were dimmed upon first release and lit up one-by-one as the month progressed. Clicking a lit number opens up the booklet to the sheet music for that day, which also features characters and diagrams.

100011 Everybody, Everybody C major 0:19

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} What the crap?! A non-chocolate and/or Lego Decemberweenvent calendar? I used to could eat both of thems.

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

The King of Town stands alone with his arms across his chest, tongue sticking out, moved to tears with some emotion, or possibly choking.

Pom Pom, Homestar Runner, and Marzipan stand in a group in the center. Homestar and Marzipan are looking pleasantly at each other while Pom Pom has a neutral or unimpressed expression.

A keyboard is featured with the white keys labeled "C D E F G A B C". A caption above it reads, "Remember the keys this a-way: 'Crispy Duck Eggs For Goodness And Badness, Champ!'"

Coach Z and Bubs stand at the far right with happy expressions and their arms across each other's shoulders.

swf    post
100022 Stave It Off C major 0:34

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Maybe if I play the song correctly, then chocolates will, like, come out of the piano.

STRONG SAD: {offscreen} Or maybe just holiday cheer will come out of the piano.

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} That's useless! You can't suck on that and swish it around in your mouth until it turns into, like, a pudding goo and then spit it onto marshmallows!

KING OF TOWN: {offscreen} That doesn't mean I can't try!

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

Homsar stands with one arm across his midsection and one arm raised, belting out a note. The Stave It Off Guy is seated on a stool with his stringless guitar and looks on, impressed.

To the right, three left hands showing one, two, and three fingers are accompanied by the caption "Use your staving fingers to play this kids' learn'em up song!"

swf    post
100033 Skills of an Artist F major 0:41

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Uh, you can check today's, Strong Mad. Imma go see if we have any baking chocolate or... somethin'.

STRONG MAD: {offscreen} I HOPE IT'S THE THEME FROM DOUG THE DINO!

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Isn't the theme from Doug the Dino just you yelling "DINOSAUR"?

STRONG MAD: {offscreen} IT'S MY GREATEST COMPOSITION!

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

Strong Bad, dressed as an art painter wearing a smock and a beret, stands next to an easel with an S drawn on it. He holds a paintbrush in his right glove and a pizza in his left glove. The pizza vaguely resembles a paint palette.

A keyboard is shown with "Middlin' C" labeled. Above it is the caption "How to play piano with boxing gloves on". Dashed lines show the outline of where the gloves should go and are labeled "Left-O" and "Right-O".

At the far right is a mostly full canister of Taster's Choice instant coffee.

swf    post
100044 {first page}

Caleb Rentpayer Love Theme

{second page}

Caleb Rentpayer Funeral Dirge

C major

C minor

0:42

STRONG SAD: {offscreen} Isn't anything in this calendar in a minor key? I need some of that Dickensian holiday doom and gloom.

{The page flips and the love theme plays; afterward, the page changes to the funeral dirge, which plays}

STRONG SAD: {offscreen} Ah, that's the stuff. It's like a stovepipe hat full of gruel, poor air quality, and inhumane working conditions. Now that's the holiday spirit!

{Returns to the cover page}

At the far left is a frog in a straw boater hat on top of an old television with one bent antenna.

At the top left is a large beard resembling those worn by ZZ Top.

In the center is a makeshift tent made of a dark blue suit jacket and a stick.

At the top right is a guitar with a wedding veil on its headstock.

At the far right is a suitcase covered in labels and stuffed full of bricks. One brick sits next to the suitcase and another protrudes from it.

swf    post
100055 Now I'll Do A Dance G major 0:21

STRONG BAD: {offscreen, singing to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"} On the fifth day of Decemberweenvent this stupid calendar gave to me, more useless sheet music!

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

The Homestar Runner dances with one leg raised and crossed over the other. He smiles broadly, showing a missing tooth. The word "SOUP" is faintly visible on his clothing.

A dancing chart is featured with numbered outlines of feet and a hand connected by a jumbled mess of dotted arrows. Above it is the caption "The Well-Folks-You-Know-What-That-Means Shuffle".

Stinkoman stands mouth agape with one glove on his hip and one arm and one leg raised.

swf    post
100066 CGNU Fight Song F major 0:36

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {offscreen} Oh, man. I get to check today's Far Side daily calendar. I hope this one has an amoeba shaped like a cow talking to a caveman saying some real smart science words I'll have to look up later.

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, the artwork changes to a Far Side version with a splat; after a pause, it returns to the cover page}

In the top left, The Jolly Dumple stands. He gains a blue nose, top hat, and legs. Holds a golf club and pennant that says "DUMP".

Next to him is the same frog from day 4 wearing a straw boater hat and holding a phone.

Above the title are arms that hold up pieces of paper that say the letters C, N, G, and U in order.

In the top right, a tuba with eyes is screaming.

The Far Side version shows the exact same thing done in the style of the Far Side comics. A speech bubble above the Dumple reads "Science! I said science again!"

swf    post
100077 Videlectrix Chime

StrongBad Zone

C major

F lydian

0:27

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Just so you know, I'm not gonna, like, say something different every day.

{The page flips and both songs play one after the other; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

Videlectrix One stands to the left of Videlectrix Two, who works nervously at a computer displaying the Videlectrix mascot with a rainbow trail.

To the right, the 3D Shield Guy, who now has his spikes arranged in a mohawk hairstyle, as well as a face with an angry expression, deflects a cube from Vector Strong Bad, who now has large purple lips and a tongue.

swf    post
100088 Smells Like Peanut Action F major 0:30

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Just so you know, I'm not gonna, like, say something different every day.

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

At the top left is a croissant with a face.

At the top right is Peanut Strong Bad, wearing a top hat and dispensing radioactive goo from its left fist.

At the bottom right is a pile of hotcakes with butter.

swf    post
100099 Meet Marshie C major 0:21

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Just so you know, I'm not gonna, like, say something different every day.

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

Marshie hovers near a stack of five marshmallows, showing a toothy grin. Three yellow stars are near the missing chunk of his head.

A diagram shows a left hand with marshmallows stuck to the end of all five fingers playing a keyboard with the caption "Try the Puffety Technique!"

To the right is Pinner, wearing the familiar bowler hat and eye patch, sitting on a plate, smoking a cigar.

swf    post
1001010 No Probalo C major 0:34

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Just so you know, I'm not gonna, like, say something different {haltingly} ev-e-ry day.

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

Senor Cardgage stands holding up a fast food bag with a chicken leg on it while holding his boxing glove in his other hand.

A keyboard is featured with the white keys labeled "C D E F G A B C". A caption above it reads, "Cardgage Drips Every Foosball Game Against Bedelma's Corporanchin'"

swf    post
1001111 3 Times Halloween Funjob C major 0:32

STRONG BAD: {offscreen, frantically} All right, this time there's gonna be chocolate! There's gonna be chocolate! There's gonna be chocolate!

{The book flips opens to reveal melted chocolate smudged over a spot on the page}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Aw, man!

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {offscreen} Oh, that's mine. It's a bookmark.

{The song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

At the bottom left is the smiling ghost of Credenza, drawn with broken lines except for the face.

At the top left a roll of toilet paper and an egg look at each other and smile. A little less than a square's worth of the roll hangs free and the egg has no shell.

At the top right is a carved pumpkin that vaguely resembles Homestar Runner with triangle eyes. A pair of leaves form the beanie propellers. Coming out of its wide mouth are pumpkin seeds that resemble spittle.

Covering all of the bass staff of measure 4, the first note of the bass staff of measure 5, and the first half of the treble staff of measure 8 is an irregular smudge of real-life melted chocolate. A bright red foil wrapper has been flattened and is visible through the chocolate in various places.

swf    post
1001212 Cheat Commandos Theme Song D major 0:34

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} So, should we discuss the creepy illustration styles in this calendar?

{The book flips open}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Aaah! No, we should not!

{The song plays; afterward, a scene from Cheat Commandos flies in from the right: Blue Laser Commander stands in an underground cavern, still drawn in the character style of the calendar}

BLUE LASER COMMANDER: {in a voice similar to Snagglepuss} Ehh. We'll blow up the ocean!

{Pan right to Reynold, who now wears a white shirt}

REYNOLD: {in a voice similar to Boo-Boo Bear} Ah gee, Blue Laser, I don't think that's such a good idea.

{Cut to the both of them}

BLUE LASER COMMANDER: {angrily pointing at Reynold} Heavens, I just hate you so much!

{Returns to the cover page}

Reynold, Silent Rip, and Gunhaver stand facing Blue Laser Commander. They all resemble cheetahs drawn like Snagglepuss. Reynold wears a pale green-blue shirt with his familiar red tie and nervously looks away with a paw to his mouth. Silent Rip holds his left paw up. Gunhaver points sharply at Blue Laser Commander and seems to be loudly saying something. Blue Laser Commander looks back at them with a defiant expression.

swf    post
1001313 Teen Girl Squad

4 Gregs

C major

D minor

0:48

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Today, the Decemberweenvent Calendar enters its teenage phase.

{The book flips open; the Teen Girl Squad are illustrated in their usual style; crickets chirp}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} WHOLESOME'D!

{The Teen Girl Squad are suddenly changed into the Decemberweenvent Calendar style}

CHEERLEADER: Ow! My saddle shoes!

WHAT'S HER FACE: Ow! My 7pm curfew!

SO AND SO: Ow! My brushing my teeth after lunch at school!

THE UGLY ONE: Ow! My pet bag of lawn trimmings!

{The Teen Girl Squad song plays, and then the page flips to the 4 Gregs song, which plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

Left to right, the characters are Cheerleader, So and So, The Ugly One, and What's Her Face. On the 4 Gregs page, they are D n' D Greg, Sci-Fi Greg, Open Source Greg, and Japanese Culture Greg.

swf    post
1001414 Strong Bad is a Bad Guy C melodic minor 0:58

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} All right, Disappointo, gimme a deep cut today!

STRONG SAD: {offscreen, disappointed} I thought I was Disappointo.

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Shut up.

{The book flips open}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Ooh, yes! My oft-overlooked sorta theme song!

{The song plays}

STRONG MAD: {offscreen} I MADE YOU A GLOWY CHOCOLATE BOX!

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Aw, thanks, Giganti-Man. That's so nice—

{Strong Mad holds his hand into view; in his palm is a cube-shaped glob of chocolate with a strand of colored, blinking holiday tree lights mashed in; one of the bulbs is broken and the wire is frayed; the broken bulb and exposed wire spark and pop intermittently}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen, continued} —oh. Uh, that is... great, and I will eat it later... when its voltage dies down.

{The broken bulb sparks once more before the book returns to the cover page}

Strong Bad is behind the wheel of a conversion van, grinning maniacally. The Cheat sits terrified in the passenger seat, his arms clutching the dashboard and seeming to protrude through the van's windshield. The frog from days 4 and 6 is holding on to the rear bumper for dear life.

The van has a camper top, stripes along the front and side, and a large, airbrushed mural on the side depicting Trogdor breathing fire in a thunderstorm.

In the foreground is a medium-sized square chest with a brass handle, edges, and corners. It is glowing brightly, radiating light in all directions.

swf    post
1001515 Strong Badia National Anthem F major 1:20

{A high-pitched whirring sound is heard; both The Cheat and Strong Bad sound distant}

THE CHEAT: {offscreen} {The Cheat noises}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} I can't look at it right now, I told you!

THE CHEAT: {offscreen} {The Cheat noises}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} A football is wearing my pants!

THE CHEAT: {offscreen} {questioning The Cheat noises}

{The whirring sound dies down}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} I don't know, The Cheat!

THE CHEAT: {offscreen} {questioning The Cheat noises}

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Yes, I am also wearing them! That's what's freakin' me out!

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, it returns to the cover page}

Poppy and Stoppy are in Strong Badia. Poppy's legs are kicking up to the side. The Strong Badia flag flies from a couple of wood planks fashioned into a flagpole nailed to the fence, with the snake holding a spoon instead of a knife.

swf    post
1001616 Homestar Runner Presents: Presents 0:39

STRONG BAD: {offscreen, singing} You think they'll ever doooo... song about Sibbie? Probably not because I don't think it has any notes.

{The page flips and the song plays; afterward, Strong Bad reaches in and covers Homestar's face with a sticker}

STRONG BAD: I'm just gonna cover this one up. Never need to look at that again.

{Returns to the cover page}

Tony Stony stands at the top left, smiling widely and winking.

At the top right Homestar Runner is popping out of a gift-wrapped box wearing the lid like a hat and a manic expression on his face. Only his head is visible.

At the bottom right is a banana with gloves and a face with an arrow through its head and sticking out its tongue.

Strong Bad covers Homestar's face with a sticker featuring the frog from days 4, 6, and 14. The frog is hugging a smartphone contentedly. The caption on the sticker reads "So Hoppy Together!"

swf    post
1001717 The Cheat is not Dead


Fun Facts

Explanations

  • An Advent calendar is used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas.
  • Days 1 and 10: Mnemonic phrases are often used to memorize the order of various musical elements, like "Every Good Boy Does Fine" for the "E G B D F" of the treble clef lines.

Trivia

  • All of the sheet music is written in 4/4 time and no listed key signature, and is played on a piano.
  • This is the first Decemberween-themed content since Decemberween Dangeresque, five years prior.

Remarks

  • The drawing style throughout the booklet is more stylized than normal, with most characters gaining noses and some gaining arms, and being drawn in a style loosely resembling Bastien Piano Basics.
  • A saddle-stiched booklet should show the staples on the inside only on the center spread, around day 12.
  • Most of the song titles come from the Homestar Runner Original Soundtracks.
  • Prior to day 12, only the intro for that day ever played, and that day's page had to be manually clicked. Beginning with day 12, the current day's intro loads and plays that day's sheet music automatically. The intros for the other days now play when clicking on their respective days, and can be skipped by clicking again on the "Skip" button that results.
  • Day 1: The keyboard keys are clickable, but do nothing.
  • Day 2: The instructions say to "use your staving fingers to play this kids' learn'em up song".
  • Day 3: The instructions show how to play piano with boxing gloves on.
  • Day 4: On days 5–11, Strong Sad still said his line after the song was played, even though the relevant line that preceded it didn't play on the later release days. Beginning with the day 12 update, the relevant line was included.
  • Day 6: The letters on the illustration are in the order C-N-G-U, when the school is Crazy Go Nuts University, or CGNU.
  • Days 7–10: Despite Strong Bad's assertion, his inflection on his line is slightly (and then not-so-slightly) different each day.
  • Day 10: Senor Cardgage's wrestling mask is portrayed as being painted on and he has real hands (one of which is holding a boxing glove).
I can count to G.
  • Day 11: There is only a single note that is covered up by Homestar's "bookmark". The fourth measure of the bass line simply consists of rests, while the fifth measure begins with a half note G below low C.
  • Day 12: Though the "back to menu" button disappears when the Cheat Commandos scene slides in, it is still clickable.
  • Day 14: Unlike previous days the song only partially repeats, ending after the fourth measure. However, it is missing the appropriate notation for repetition and codas.
  • Day 15:
    • The lyrics are crammed in where the words go quickly.
    • The song is in a different key — F major rather than C major — from the version of the song in flag day. However, the chord progression at the end, F to C, remains the same, resulting in a different cadence: I–V instead of the plagal cadence IV–I.
  • Day 16: The sixteenth notes in measures 1, 3, 9, and 11 should be notated as swing eighths.

Goofs

  • "New H*R sheet music everyday" should be "every day".
  • Beginning with day 12, when the toon first loads, the transparency on the circle behind the current day is more opaque than the other circles. After the toon finishes and returns to the cover page, its opacity matches the rest of the circles.
  • In a tweet, Strong Bad blamed any issues with the sheet music on the "weirdos at Cheap As Free Music". He bemoaned his appearance in the booklet and said that "any mistakes are just the musical equivalent of adding human noses.".
  • Day 3:
    • The repeat sign is not vertically aligned to the staff.
    • The first three notes should be pickups to the first measure. Instead, the first beat of each measure is written as the third beat of the measure, and the notation rhythm is therefore displaced by two beats..
  • Day 9: Several times two notes are written together, but played separately as a grace note.
  • Day 12:
    • In both instances where two notes are played together, there should instead be separate grace notes.

Fixed Goofs

  • Day 12: "Probably" was misspelled "probaby". This was fixed with the next update.

Inside References

  • The calendar is entitled "Scales of an Artist", after Skills of an Artist.
  • Day 1: "Used to could" is a double modal, much like "might could".
  • Day 3:
    • Strong Mad mentions his stop-motion movie Doug the Dino from the facts (which incidentally did have BGM beyond Strong Mad yelling).
    • Strong Bad says that he will look for baking chocolate. Strong Sad says that he used to eat baking chocolate when there was no chocolate in the house in The House that Gave Sucky Treats.
    • The "S" drawn on the canvas and the label on the canister of coffee grinds that says "Taster's Choice" both refer to dragon.
  • Day 4:
    • The images relate to previous audio clips heard from Caleb Rentpayer throughout the series:
      • The beard is a reference to Tuxworth telling Caleb he can't grow a ZZ Top beard in winter pool.
      • The jacket tent and suitcase full of bricks are from the show's appearance in Bug in Mouth Disease.
      • The guitar with a wedding veil refers to Caleb attempting to marry his guitar, as heard in secret recipes.
    • Strong Sad previously mentioned that he "needed some doom and gloom" in Happy Hallow-Day.
  • Day 5: Stinkoman is depicted alongside The Homestar Runner, referring to when both danced together in 20X6 vs. 1936. "The Well-Folks-You-Know-What-That-Means Shuffle" also references this.
  • Day 6: The amoeba Dumple says, "Science! I said science again!" as Homestar did when Strong Bad tried to get him to say something smart in stupid stuff.
  • Day 7: The computer that Videlectrix Two is working at is very similar to the Tandy 400.
  • Day 8: The Peanut Strong Bad action figure oozes radioactive goo like Strong Bad's hypothetical action figure.
    • The croissant represents Strong Bad saying his action figure would be armed with Chinese throwing croissants.
    • The pile of pancakes represents that Strong Bad wished his action figure would smell like hotcakes.
  • Day 9:
  • Day 10: Senor Cardgage is holding a fast food bag with a chicken leg printed on it, referencing when he asked for Chick-fil-A in Senor Mortgage.
  • Day 12: Blue Laser Commander's plan to blow up the ocean and his line "I just hate you so much!" come from the original Cheat Commandos toon.
  • Day 13: The Teen Girl Squad gets "WHOLESOME'D!", each responding with an "Ow! My X!" line.
  • Day 14:
  • Day 16:
    • Strong Bad, who once said he would never, ever, ever, ever, ever write a song about Sibbie, now wonders if they'll do one for the calendar.
    • The song he did "write" was essentially him chanting set to a drum beat, which he supposes wouldn't translate to the piano very well because it doesn't have any notes (although "I Freakin' Hate Sibbie!" did have a few).

Real-World References

  • Day 1: Lego has produced Advent calendars, each with 24 doors containing a minifigure or a simple small set, annually since 1998. Recent years have seen multiple calendars released each year, with themes such as Star Wars.
  • Day 4: Strong Sad mentions he needs "Dickensian" Holiday doom and gloom, referencing author Charles Dickens. His description of "a stovepipe hat full of gruel, poor air quality, and inhumane working conditions" specifically reflect A Christmas Carol, an iconic Dickens novella whose adaptations have become popular Christmas traditions.
  • Day 6: The Far Side is a single-panel comic that features absurdist humor and is notable for its depiction of anthropomorphic amoebas and cows, cavemen, and science. For many years, creator Gary Larson produced a yearly tear-off calendar that contained a Far Side cartoon for each day of the year. Homestar Runner mentions a Far Side daily calendar on the cover page, and the artwork changes on the sheet music to a Far Side style after the song finishes playing.
  • Day 12: Blue Laser Commander talks and acts like the Hanna-Barbera character Snagglepuss, while Reynold similarly acts like Boo-Boo Bear.
  • Day 16: The Frog sticker references So Happy Together by The Turtles.

External Links

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